Customer experience strategies are gaining importance

„I respect your idea of serving food but really I want it my way.“ Restauranteurs need to understand expectations, doubts, and untold wishes of our guests. How strategies, mindsets, and tools can help you getting better in anticipating guests wishes.

Customer Intelligence

To be able to treat restaurant customers individually we have to know them. Maybe a serious conversation is the best way to accomplish that. Unfortunately, there is often not enough staff to do that. Or staff is badly trained in communication. Since everyone places bits and bytes on the Internet, we can use information for restaurant services. Like analyzing social media posts.

Create great customer experience

I really like Deloittes approach in showcasing the specific steps of the customer journey. And the topics that need to be addressed by staff. Engage, Empower, Hear, Delight and Know me. This idea shows the importance of rethinking service as we learned it. A holistic strategy to guide your guest and collect information along the way is a must.

Have it my way

Why should I buy the same product as my neighbor? Why should I be satisfied with the chef’s recommendations in the menu? I can probably consider this as a suggestion with a lot of potential for my own wishes. Some companies (link below) used that new mindset already to give the best possible freedom of choice. What about showing your guest a list of ingredients and ask them what they would love to eat. In the near future, they will show up anyway with a specific nutrition plan based on DNA and personal food tolerance.

Please see all references which support the prediction „Customer experience strategies are gaining importance“ below.

Reference #1

Local customer intelligence

Big data is watching you. To treat your customer individually you need to get to know him. Possibly the best way would be to ask him and have a serious conversation. That would help customizing the product or service just right. Unfortunately sometimes there is not enough staff to do that or this staff is not well trained in professional communication. For sure there are many more challenges to follow the guests desire of being treated individually. But as we know everybody is placing bits and data in the Internet world and we could also use this information to move closer to the new expectations. Some smart intelligence is just doing that: Locally collecting social media posts, comments and the like to give companies the possibility to react fast and to current needs.

Create great customer experience

You really do not need a big consulting player to understand what needs to be done to get your service to the next level. But I really like Deloittes approach in showcasing the specific steps of the customer journey and the topics that need to be addressed by staff. Engage, Empower, Hear, Delight and Know me. This idea shows the importance of rethinking service as we learned it. You better have a whole holistic strategy to guide your guest and collect information along the way.

Have it my way

Why should I buy the same product as my neighbor? Why should I be satisfied with the chef’s recommendations in the menu? I can probably consider this as a suggestion with a lot of potential for my own wishes. Some companies (link below) used that new mindset already to give the best possible freedom of choice. What about showing your guest a list of ingredients and ask them what they would love to eat. In the near future they will show up anyway with a specific nutrition plan based on DNA and personal food tolerance.

Beyond customer loyalty programs

How many loyalty cards are in your wallet? I am sure you also know that guy who has a senator status. Are you jealous? Ok, point collecting systems work quite fine and influence our buying patterns. But I also start getting bored because there is so much more out there what could be done to get my loyalty. Hilton uses an application for regular guest with a lot of advantages: Choose your exact room by surfing the hotel map, order favorite items prior to arrival, remote control of the room door, receive notifications and travel hints. All in one app. No emails needed. No hassle.